La Marée Continue
by Cyndercrys
Summary: Mere months after losing Piper but regaining her son, Renee Jones is thrust back into adventure when she rescues a Miss Nanny from Vault 81. It doesn't take long for C.V.R.I.E. to decide she wants to be transferred into a Synth body, and when she is, Renee becomes conflicted in her feelings. "I said I wouldn't do this again, but... I just..." ***Sequel to Purple Horizon***


**This is a direct sequel to my Sole Survivor x Piper fic, _Purple Horizon_. I highly suggest you read that before this one, but I can't force you to do anything. **

**Obligatory disclaimer: I own nothing, never have, never will, I'm just a poor fan.**

* * *

_IN WHICH Renee pays a visit to Vault 81 and fights some molerats._

* * *

"You have a good point, Miss Jones. But I'm not sure how well it'll go over with the rest of the residents."

Renee sat across from Gwen McNamara, overseer of Vault 81. She crossed her legs. "I know it's asking a lot of your people. But the Commonwealth is probably safer now than it's ever been thanks to the Minutemen. If nothing else, consider it for the selfless reason of being able to extend schooling and medical services to everyone else. Until I'm able to get to the Institute above ground, you're all we have."

"And after that?" Gwen leaned forward, pressing her hands together.  
"I'm not saying you're a consolation prize. There is plenty for the Commonwealth to gain from Vault 81 and vice versa." Renee sighed. "Come on, you know I wouldn't ask you about permanently opening the door if I didn't have a good reason."

The overseer sat back and fidgeted with the pen laying on her desk. "I know that. I understand that and I trust you. But I have to think of my residents." She chewed the inside of her cheek. "I'll think it over and bring it up at the next Vault meeting, see how people respond to the idea. But none of this is going to be easy."

"I know. I don't expect it to be."

Gwen put down the pen and her gaze softened. "So how are _you_ doing?"

It was no secret that only a few months earlier Renee and Piper ended their relationship. Typically such a thing would have been more of a secret, but Piper published an article titled _Sole Survivor Turns To Institute Instead Of Commonwealth_ that certainly didn't help matters. Fortunately she followed it up with another article, _General Of The Minutemen: A Tell-All Tale_ that seemed to clear Renee's name a bit. That is, until Piper then published a third article, _Why Romance Is Overrated_.

Needless to say, Renee didn't bother reading the newspaper anymore.

"I'm holding up." The redhead glanced to the side. "It's been an adjustment. But the Minutemen keep me busy, so most days I don't even have time to think about it."

"I'm sure that's all hard to deal with." Gwen smiled slightly and stood, walking over to the large window overlooking the Vault. "I didn't realize how much you've done for the Commonwealth until I read Miss Wright's paper, you know." She turned to see Renee from the corner of her eye. "Which I have you to thank for. Since you insisted we get a subscription."

"Just making sure you stay up to speed on the Commonwealth." Renee forced a small smile. "So, should I just wait for word from you?"

"Give me about two weeks. I'll have an answer then—"

"_All medical personnel to the infirmary. Repeat, all medical personnel report to the infirmary immediately._"

The intercom cut off their conversation. Gwen and Renee shared a look before Gwen hurried to the door. "I'd better get down there." She pressed the door panel to open it.

"I'll come too, see if I can't help at all."

Both women rushed down to the medical bay of Vault 81. Inside, Dr. Penske was arguing with Dr. Forsythe while Bobby DeLuca kept trying to interrupt. "Quiet, Bobby!" Dr. Penske snapped, turning on him. "This is all _your_ fault anyway!"

"What's going on in here?" Gwen glanced between the trio.

"Austin was bitten by a molerat and he's got some kind of—of disease." Dr. Penske looked back at Dr. Forsythe. "You're a _doctor_, can't you do something?!"

"Rachel is examining the molerat right now. We'll know more after she's done. But I've never seen a reaction to a molerat bite like this before." Dr. Forsythe walked over to where Austin Engill laid in an infirmary bed.

Gwen turned to Dr. Penske. "How did this happen?"

"I can explain that, Overseer, ma'am." Bobby stepped forward. He fidgeted with his hands, shifting back and forth. "There's a…a secret Vault. It's where I keep my p-personal things. Austin got in there, and the molerat just…"

"You mean your _chems_," Priscilla hissed, her eyes narrowed.

Renee furrowed her brow. "A secret Vault?"

"I don't know anything about a secret Vault, but I'm not sure how else molerats could get in, I suppose…" Gwen put her knuckle to her chin in thought.

"I-it's possible there's a cure down there. Maybe. I dunno, I haven't explored it. It's…big." Bobby swallowed hard. "But I don't wanna go down there if there's dangerous molerats, I don't wanna die."

Priscilla opened her mouth to yell at him more when Gwen put up a hand. "Miss Jones, how'd you like to do Vault 81 a huge favor?"

"Pest control?" Renee smiled and grabbed the rifle slung over her back. "My pleasure."

Dr. Penske gazed at Renee. "Would you? Please, anything you find down there would help my boy."

Renee nodded. She recognized the all-too familiar desperation in Priscilla Penske's eyes. The older woman was clearly terrified of losing her adopted son. "I'll do whatever I can. I promise." She put a hand on Priscilla's shoulder. "Austin will be just fine. You'll see."

Bobby shuffled to the doorway. "This way. Follow me!"

"On it." Renee gave a final glance at the overseer and Dr. Penske before running to catch up to Bobby.

* * *

A goddamn experiment. Of course. Renee rested against the wall after shooting yet another molerat in the skull. Vault 81 was supposed to be an experimental facility about diseases and immunizations. She huffed. Because anything humane would make too much sense.

She had hoped Vault 81 was a Vault for what the Vaults were _supposed _to be, but no such luck. The deeper she went, the more she learned, and the more molerats she came into contact with. Nasty little creatures, especially since they were apparently carrying some kind of deadly disease.

Renee chuckled. Did she have all her shots before the bombs dropped? Surely she had. Well, not that season's flu shot, but everything else she was up-to-date on. She shook her head and shouldered her rifle. Her boots made muffled sounds on the old, broken tile.

Her thoughts strayed as she walked. And they strayed to Piper. How would the reporter comment on the situation? "Local woman risks life to save child," she imagined Piper saying. "Well, there are worse ways to go, Blue." She sighed. Yeah. There were worse ways to go.

She very suddenly felt a sharp pain in her forearm. "Goddamn it!" She swung her arm at the wall and the molerat let go of her. It fell to the ground with a confused growl and she wasted no time in shooting it. She stumbled back against the opposite wall of the corridor. "F-fuck…"

The molerat left a deep bite in her right forearm, near her wrist. She realized it stung more than it should've and rummaged around in her bag for a Stimpak. She stuck it near the wound but instead the stinging grew worse until it felt more like burning. "Shit…!"

She ripped the Stim out and it shattered against the ground. Finally the pain began to ebb away. Renee grabbed her extra shirt and ripped off one of the sleeves to use as a makeshift bandage, tying it to her arm with her left hand her teeth. Even if it stopped burning, it still throbbed and she narrowed her eyes. _There better be something down here for this…_

The redhead continued on, more carefully than before. When she finally made it to the end—or what she hoped desperately was the end, as she was beginning to feel lightheaded—she was distraught to find her path blocked by a locked door. "Oh goddamn everything about this fucking place…" She cracked her knuckles and went up to the terminal.

A few lucky and educated guesses later, the door slid open and she continued through. This part of the Vault wasn't as dirty as the rest of the corridors. She ascended a staircase to find three lockers, decorated with lab coats and old, decayed flowers. Graves. "Hello?" She called.

"Ah! 'Allo! Are you Vault-Tec?" A distinctly French voice responded.

Renee walked in front of the large window looking into a laboratory to see a Miss Nanny staring back at her. "What are you doing in there?"

"I am pleased to report I finished my duties over eighty years ago! A universal cure for all manner of disease was created and perfected, and I 'ave been waiting so very patiently for someone to give me a new directive. I repeat, are you Vault-Tec?"

Cure. So there _was_ a cure. "Can I have this cure? I mean, do you have any left?"

"I 'ave one dose left zhat you may 'ave. Are you authorized to release me?" The robot's eyestalks glanced at the door.

"Uh, sure. Yeah. I'm authorized." Renee nodded. Minuteman General, Institute Vice Chairwoman, Vault-Tec, who cared who she was, she just needed that cure…and _now_.

The Miss Nanny opened the door and floated out. "'Ere is the cure, madame!" It handed off a vial.

"Just one? Where are the others?" Renee looked beyond the robot into the lab.

"Zhe organic materials in zhe cure all decayed, madame. I am afraid zhis is all zhat is left, and I am unable to make more. If you 'ave an equivalent to my robotic 'Ippocratic oath, I suggest you take it and put zhis cure to good use."

Renee felt her stomach bottom out. One cure. She took a breath. "I don't have a Hippocratic oath, but compassion will have to do." She shoved it in her pocket.

To her surprise, the robot followed her to the nearby elevator, and even followed her onboard. Once the doors were closed and they were alone, Renee finally turned to it. "So, what's your name, robot?"

"My designation is Contagions Vulnerability Robotic Infirmary Engineer, or C.V.R.I.E. But zhe scientists simply called me Curie." C.V.R.I.E. gave a nod with one of her eyestalks. "And you, madame?"

"Renee Jones. But just Renee is fine."

"Madame, you seem to be injured. Might I assist you?"

Renee unconsciously held her arm. She looked down to see a bit of blood seeped through the shirt she wrapped around it. Her vision slid out of focus for just a moment and she shook her head. "N-no. I'm all right. Just, uh, tired."

The elevator stopped and she stepped out. She knew she had to get to the infirmary, and fast. If not for Austin, but for herself, before she passed out from whatever the hell that molerat infected her with. Renee rushed past Officer Edwards in the main lobby of the Vault and nearly ran to the main elevator.

"Madame, _attendez-moi_!"

"I don't know what that means." Renee waited anyway until the robot was safely in the elevator to send it down.

"Ah, apologies. Like most Miss Nanny robots my default language is not English, but French."

"I noticed." Renee rolled her eyes. She took two years of French in high school, but that was…many years ago now. Too long. She barely remembered it then and definitely didn't now.

She shot off again once the elevator opened. "Dr. Forsythe, I have it!" She yelled as she pounded down the steps to the infirmary. "I have the cure!"

Priscilla and Dr. Forsythe met her at the doorway to the infirmary. "You what?" Dr. Forsythe gaped at her.

Renee pulled the vial from her pocket. "Here. Give it to Austin."

"One dose? I hope this works…"

Dr. Penske hovered over the doctor as he administered the cure to Austin. "Well?" She asked, not taking her eyes from the boy.

"It should be working soon…"

Within moments, Austin stirred and woke up. "Gran…? What happened? Why am I here?"

"Austin!" Dr. Penske gathered him in her arms. "I was so worried about you, boy!"

Renee turned as she heard someone approaching. The overseer. "He's up."

"I heard you came back. So, you managed to find a cure, I see." Gwen grinned and crossed her arms. "Well Austin, it would seem you owe our friend here a thank-you. She risked her life to get that cure for you."

Austin was too busy being smothered by Dr. Penske to respond.

Gwen looked at Renee. "We really owe you one, Miss Jones. I—Miss Jones? Miss Jones, are you all right?"

Renee stumbled back to grab the table nearby. Her hand slipped and she collapsed backwards, hitting the tile with a sharp thud. Gwen knelt next to her. "Miss Jones!" She looked up. "Rachel, something's wrong with her!"

"Can you hear me?" Rachel knelt on her other side.

Renee's eyes flickered shut.


End file.
